


Late Delivery from heck

by RGmolpus



Series: Last Messages [2]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-16 19:32:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16960179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RGmolpus/pseuds/RGmolpus
Summary: Detritus from the Escobar Campaign, very sour milk.





	Late Delivery from heck

The Imperial Residence, Vorbarra Sultana, Barrayar  
(either too late at night, or too early in the morning)

Gregor knew that important messages after midnight weren't always messages of woe and disaster - the triumphant message from the Cetagandan Ambassador that Giaja had agreed to the current round of trade talks had arrived at 0312 two weeks ago - but that's what he always expected.

Miles had gone to Beta colony in his Imperial Auditor role - supplemented by a commission from the Council of Counts as Minister Plenipotentiary, for direct talks with the Hegen Hub consortium. He had stopped at Escobar for a private visit to the Durona Clinic; so why a middle of the night tight beam message at the highest clearance?

The message was short - "Sending a package received from the Escobaran President - from his hand to mine. Remove your shoes before reading enclosed message, save your soles..."

It had taken 98 hours to travel from Escobar to Barrayar, the package would take under two weeks; Miles might make it back before this mysterious package did. 

Gregor swore quietly, cleared the Comconsole screen, and went back to bed. Laisa woke some, he snuggled in close and slid his hands around her body - "Did something come up?" she murmured half asleep.

"When I'm next to you, I can always have something come up..."

 

===========================

It was late afternoon when an express package arrived, hand delivered by Commodore Olshansky (Galactic Affairs) and General Allegre (Chief of Imperial Security) to Gregor's chambers. They brought a tech with them, who did a security scan of the room then left, after setting up an isolated Vidpad, a very unusual event. The two officers stood at strict attention until the Tech had left, and the usual privacy screen snapped on.

"I assume this has something to do with that midnight message Miles sent? Something so hot it'd fry my shoes, in his exotic phrasing?"

Gregor looked at the two officer with a severe expression; Olshansky (recently promoted), shouldn't have BEEN on Barrayar - his office for Galactic Affairs was on Komaar.

"Sir, Miles was underestimating the importance of this ...message... from the Escobarans. When Commodore Olshansky received the package from Miles, he dropped everything to personally carry it back, on a fast courier running at 120% overload. There's a letter from the Escobaran President specifically for you that explains everything. Miles has stayed on Komaar to substitute for the Commodore"

Olshansky opened the courier case and laid a series of pages on Gregor's desk, and a small parcel, wrapped in paper, about 15 by 25 cm.

"This was recovered by an Escobaran survey crew, as part of their normal debris and small asteroid survey. The Escobarans' offer a significant reward to survey crews that find items from the war; especially bodpods, warheads, and possibly dangerous debris." Olshansky continued; "The escape pod this was found in was marked as being from the General Vorcraft; the crew is due, from the treaty, a notable sum as a reward, that we are obligated to pay. There's a line item in the ImpMil budget for this, it doesn't need a special approval by the Council of Counts."

Gregor was still at his desk, staring at the dull image on the plastic; the text wasn't faded, the name 'VorBarra, Admiral Prince Serg Titus' very plain on the card. The small photo was of a young man, a familiar face 

Olshansky paused, looking at Allegre for a prompt. Allegre continued "There was a body in the pod; the survey crew, according to the usual practice, sealed it in plastic, and brought it, and the pod, back to the Mortuary division. They didn't seem to realize who the occupant had been, it was the mortuary team that recovered the ID from the pod, and realized what had been recovered. The commanding officer immediately put the team on lockdown, and escalated the matter to Admiral Escobedo, head of the Escobaran fleet. He took the matter directly to Presidente Huacca; He contacted Auditor Vorkosigan, and passed the first message to him."

"This is real, not some sort of fake - is it? This really -is- Serg's ID card?" Gregor's face was tight, his hands shook slightly as he barely touched the card.

"Sir, until we do a full analysis; I judge it best to consider it genuine. The inventory code on the reverse of the card matches cards from the era; it certainly isn't of recent manufacture, and the stored content - " Allegre stopped.

"You need to see something stored on the card, one of the prerecorded messages for special occasions. The Escobaran forensic team found it; and stopped work after they passed word of it to their superiors." Olshansky gestured to the pile of Escobaran pages, "The Presidente has done all he can to put a solid lid on this from everyone. Fewer then ten people have seen the stored messages on Escobar, Miles, Myself, and General Allegre are the only Barrayarans' to have seen this. If I may?"

Olshansky inserted the ID card into the viewer; made a few selection from the menus, then a vid started to play.

Gregor watched in silence as his Grandfather spoke his farewell to his son, Serg; the pain, mixed with regretful love, almost melting the screen.

"Miles has seen this?" Gregor asked.

With a glance at Olshansky, General Allegre confirmed, "Presedente Huacca personally showed it to Miles, alone in his office before sending him on."

Gregor went back to his desk, sitting down with an impact. He gathered the pages of the message from the Escobaran Presidente, starting to read in silence as Olshansky shut down the viewer, removing the ID Card. The two men moved to stand, silently, beside Gregor's desk.

The President's message was brief in it conclusions and decisions; revealing this message could only disturb - seriously damage, certainly! the harmonious relations between Escobar, Beta Colony, and Barrayar; which would benefit no one but powers that looked constantly for dissension away from their borders. Respectfully yours, Presedente Huacca, Polity of Escobar. 

Gregor put the pages down, spreading his hands palm down on the desk, staring emptily at the patterned wood ; Olshansky saw a grimace touch his face.

"My Grandfather put it best; he arranged ten thousand burned to mark the death of his son; let that be the end of it - forever. Huacca is satisfied to let this be not; I can't disagree. Any thoughts?"

"Prime Minister Racosy and Foreign Minister Polin will need to know; eyes only; as a matter of politics. Count Vorhalas might be risked, to foreclose any motion if rumors spread. Simon Illyan has no need to know on this, as he's retired. As far as validating the ID card; I can have a fragment of the card analyzed to check it's age, and the other contents of the card can be reviewed to match them to what would have been standard on the card from that time; We can match the medical and service records based on our archives. The body - remains - were cremated by the Escobaran mortuary services as is standard; the remains amount to less than a kilogram. The clothing and other personal items are still under Mile's Auditors seal on Komarr." Allegre braced a bit more as he finished his remarks.

Gregor stayed silent, staring at the papers; "I recall there's a military cemetery on Sergyar that holds a number of the Escobar war dead? Send everything there, I'll send a message to Cordelia explaining the matter. I don't want him back here for a second burial. Thank you for your efforts, Gentlemen, let's let this stay sleeping."

The two officers saluted, and left the chamber, leaving the emperor to...

**Author's Note:**

> I gave Colonel Olshansky a promotion and a transfer. He had sufficient time in grade as Head of Sergyaran Affairs, why not?


End file.
